Gandhi Tells Scottish Workers to Submit to the Butcher’s Knife

In an earlier missive, I discussed fears that Alex Salmond’s bombast and nationalistic-incline rhetoric was going to queer the pitch in negotiating with major employers in Scotland who are threatening to relocate or cut-back in current economic straits.

As Whyte and Mackay announces its intentions to shed 100 jobs on Scottish sites, now may be the time to find out.

But industry insiders told The Scotsman that the government’s rhetoric on Diageo combined with plans to introduce minimum pricing had left relations between the Scottish Government and one of the country’s biggest industries “at an all time low.”

Since 2007, Whyte and Mackay has been owned by the Indian conglomerate United Breweries Group, headed by the Indian parliamentarian and billionaire, Vijay Mallya. Three months before this announcement, it was reported that he had paid £1.3 millions to purchase items which belonged to Mahatma Gandhi, and donate them to the Indian state.

The juxtapositioning of these two facets to Mallya’s character has been reported as going against the Gandhean ethos. Then again, during the bloodshed of the Partition of India, Gandhi had responded to appeals with advice with simple suggestions of prayer and meditation; and his advice to the Jews of Europe would have been submission to the oncoming juggernaut, to demonstrate their heroism; so, maybe, this is less surprising.

Never underestimate the arrogance of the truly powerful and wealthy. I have no doubt that Mallya feels he did a noble deed with the ‘saving’ of Gandhi’s effects, as well as that his soon-to-be ex-employees in Scotland should submit themselves to the income support’s knife. A difference between Mallya and Gandhi, though, is that Mallya never has been fought over by large numbers of young women for the opportunity to sleep in his bed.